What the flags have taught us… Of all the iconic Jewish images evoked annually by the Passover haggad- ah, the parting of the Red Sea sticks with me most. The 10 plagues, the burning bush, even the Egyptian exodus were prophesized A matter of trust in the media...
The Canadian Jewish News The Canadian Jewish News
Rather, anti-government protesters are proudly flying the blue-and-white Star of David. And they’re doing it in droves. The evocative images of these gather- ings are an awesome sight that gives me great hope for Israel’s future. This does not appear to be a country hiding from or em- barrassed by its own image, but rather one grappling with where it goes from here. We believe that our community—and every community, for that matter—requires and de- serves no less. Without reliable and depend- able media, trust can wane, and we know where that road leads better than most. For a bit of levity, consider what took place in an Israeli group chat: an anti-government protester who asked to borrow a flag for a protest received a positive response from a neighbour… so long as they returned it in time for a pro-government protest a few days later. To me, this seems natural—not to mention healthy—and very Israeli. No one in the Jewish state is shying away from current and difficult debates. And no one is hanging their head in shame. It’s hard to think of a more appropriate way to mark 75 years of Israeli statehood— hearts ablaze and flags waving. And as is often the case, it offers a lesson for Dias- pora Jews, as well as democracies across the globe, to take to heart. — Yoni Goldstein If you’re reading this, I think you probably agree. And if that’s the case, the good news is that you can help by investing in media you can trust. As the growth of The CJN continues in 2023, we’re accepting charitable donations through the Canada Revenue Agency. Your annual contribution of $100 and up will help us continue our vital work of rebuilding in a sustainable manner. We’ll make sure you keep receiving our print magazines along with yearly tax receipts. conversation or exchange of ideas, while spreading misinformation quicker and wider than verifiable facts. That’s why we rebuilt The Canadian Jewish News the way we did. We wanted to prove that The CJN is different by investing in stor- ies that speak to you. We’ve built a roster of Jewish personalities you can trust, because they are just like you in many ways. For more information, check out thecjn.ca/support or write to support@thecjn.ca , and you’ll be investing in something we can all place a little faith in, for this Passover and beyond.
T wo years ago, Canadian flags were lowered in the wake of news regarding the discovery of potential unmarked graves of Indigenous residential school children. Federal buildings had theirs at half-mast, as well as many non-governmental locations across the country. And they stayed that way for quite some time. Calls to cancel July 1 celebrations were plentiful in 2021, and many Canadians ob- liged—or at least curtailed fireworks for that Canada Day. Whether or not you agreed with this When they got to the sea, with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, it was the people them- selves who had to initiate the next chapter. Most understandably hesitated to dip their toes in. But that’s when—according to the Talmud—a Judean prince named Nachshon ben Aminadav, stepped forward and walked right into the water. Seeing this, God ordered Moses to plunge his staff into the sea, which then parted… and you know the rest. perspective, it was hard not to notice that our national pride took a hit. And, in some sectors of society, it has yet to recover. By contrast, watching recent protests across Israel over the current government and its policies—including the protracted de- bate over judicial overhaul—I’ve been struck by how flags emphasize a different tone from Canada’s apparent reckoning with history. As the citizenry demonstrates against the Netanyahu government (and, it must be many that are more insidious in nature. The ongoing efforts by political, social and religious leaders to target and blame the media are mostly misplaced. Journalism outlets, beset by cutbacks in the digital age, haven’t inspired confidence with reporting that’s shoddy and slanted. On top of it all, social media has guttered any meaningful mentioned, many—if evidently not as many— are concurrently rallying in support of it) the one thing I haven’t seen is a flag of Israel be- ing lowered, disfigured or otherwise distorted to make a political point. and enacted, we read, from high above. There wasn’t much for the Jewish nation to do but go along with the plan, and eventually get ready to leave for the promised land. You might call Nachshon’s actions a leap of faith, but to me they signify something else. Trust is fundamental to the success of any community, and of course society in general, but it has been eroded in recent years by a variety of forces, some well-meaning and
Yoni Goldstein CEO and Editor-in-Chief Marc Weisblott Yoni Goldstein CEO and Editor-in-Chief Marc Weisblott
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